INHOPE in Malta

For the last couple of days I was in Malta in order to give a presentation to INHOPE on how to ensure their hotlines are accessible. I got there via a change in Frankfurt and returned the same way. The one thing I love about flying between Schengen countries is that there are no border controls. This meant that the only point I had to show my ID card during the whole trip was first in Luxembourg to check I am the person it says on my ticket when entering the security checks and then when checking in at the hotel. Fantastic! It makes getting out of airports so much easier, especially if you only have hand luggage.

After a 25 minute taxi ride to the hotel I checked in and then explored the area a little. Getting to the conference venue would be a pleasant 15 minute stroll in the morning. The immediate area around my hotel, whilst OK, wasn't anything worth writing home about from a tourist point of view. But then this was a work trip!

The conference, which was actually an INHOPE Hotline Training Meeting took place in the Grand Ballroom of the Raddisson Blu. I wasn't expecting this. Rarely giving presentations and if so maybe in front of 10 people or online, when I accepted to give the presentation I was expecting something quite small. When I was told it would be about 60 people, I asumed this was an exaggeration. It turned out to possibly be an underestimate.

And here is a photo of me in action.

The day after the arrival I followed the conference with interest. In the evening I walked around a bit more, this time in the other direction (a little to the south-east), passed Spinola Bay and around St. Julian's Bay. I found that direction to be a little more interesting with a nicer beach walk. I caught a glimpse of the Balluta Building and the church next to it.

Then I returned to the hotel to prepare for my presentation the next morning. This went much better than I was expecting with a number of hotline representatives asking me to send them my presentation. After lunch, I went to the airport to catch my flight back. So I didn't get to see a lot of Malta. I enjoyed the sun and warmth and the somewhat arabic architecture of the buildings.

A recap of the event is published on the INHOPE website.

The conference was insightful and my presentation a success. So overall a good two days away and on the flight back I got a nice view of the alps.